Monaco - Post Match thread.

[Saddleworth2]

We have and we are. One loss doesn't change that, especially not a loss on away goal ruling to Europe's team of the season. Let's see how we do in the big three PL games coming up before we start to panic.

No panic mate. Still having problems trying to rationalise that first half. As usual, pep is blaming himself in not being able to convince the team to attack in the first half. He is diverting attention away from the players like any good manager would. Why would our experienced squad so obviously not follow the game plan though. I am genuinely perplexed.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Said this earlier, it's the front players that has cost us in all the big games this season, if they don't take the chances there's nothing Pep can do about it, they all need to put in a shift first and foremost though, and last night too many didn't do that.

Mate, defenders/goalkeepers make mistakes, that's football.

It becomes more pronounced, however, when we have supposedly one of the best attacking forward lines in football failing to do the basics, never mind accept all the chances we have tossed off this season.

I'll say it again. It's our so-called "big-name" players who have cost us these last couple of seasons.

It's why the team looked so vibrant when Jesus was playing, because the team looked so much more cohesive and he needs less chances to score.

 

[argyle]

So, so frustrating as in the 2nd half they were there for the taking.

Those missed chances....

 

[Dazzle84]

Huge fan of Guardiola but he dropped a massive bollock last night. His substitutions (or lack thereof) and showing themselves up to be a huge weakness.

I understand showing faith in players but some days you step onto a pitch & it's just not your day - he should spot that and deal with it early.

 

[hgblue]

no ones asking him to do it all the time. When you already have a two goal lead then being solid whilst still carrying the threat of our pace up front would be the way to go.

You're wasting your breath mate, we play how we play and that's that. If you think we should have played a Toure, or a Fernando, or a Delph, to give us a more solid base, then you want us to turn into Stoke. That's how silly the level of discussion has become

 

[BlueMoonz1977]

some proper over reaction as always - pep ain't this, pep ain't that. Do we honestly think with the back four that we currently have we were not going to give away chances against the in-form team in Europe that have youth in abundance running at will.

I actually felt sorry for Stones because he was the only one looking to stop the attacks last night, for the one of the Monaco goals it was only Stones doing the defending and this was shown when the cross was played he actually shouted (arm raised) because no-one else helped him cover the cross or picked anyone up in the box - the same again with their killer 3rd goal - no-one picking up the goal scorer

Sagna, kolarov, clichy are all liabilities in our defence and will be replaced. Pep has no choice at the moment but to utilise what he has got and the bad point is in defence apart from stones, what we have is not good enough

We got beat by the better side in the first half, and unfortunately we lacked that spark upfront on the night.

 

[Thaksinssoldier]

Absolutely nothing to blame the defence for, they all had their redeeming qualities last night.

Stones was a real leader in the second half, making crucial interceptions and breaking forward with the ball on numerous occasions.

Kolarov never stopped trying to get us going and both Clichy and Sagna showed the required levels of aggression.

It was the paucity of the front six that lost us that game last night, nothing more.

A first half in which they failed to break a sweat, failed to defend from the front and provided Monaco's own quality in the wide areas, exposing us for the first two goals.

It's been a bullshit narrative all season, that the defenders are the problem.

De Bruyne's form has been shocking for months and Pep made a stupid mistake of preferring that midfield set-up without the ball control of Yaya.

Aguero cost us. Sterling cost us. Silva cost us.

Kudos to Sane, who at least refuses to hide.

To a degree I understand what you are trying to say, but there's no way Clichy or Sagna come out of last night with any sort of praise, especially Clichy. He lost EVERY single headed ball last night. They picked on him for the entire first half.

I do agree though, that the attack didn't help. Had De Bruyne actually given a damn, those balls aren't getting over to Gael to begin with. But he was still utterly awful.

Sane and Stones stood up to be counted for 90 mins, and eventually Sterling joined in. But yeah, some blame Txixi today.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

John Stones was magnificent in the second half. He showed real leadership. Feel gutted today but this is a real positive

 

[Jonathan1979]

Like i said to KHW, i agree a 2 man midfield wouldve been better however sitting back and defending just isn't something we do. And bringing on the talented lads if needed, surely that is giving in to the fact that we wouldn't be able to defend the 2 goal lead?

Didn't Pep say so himself before the game? At the press conference he said City would have to score to go through, so basically implying City wouldn't be able to defend a 2 goal lead.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

I think the defence could have done better with that 3rd goal. Poor organisation that.

However you are right about the rest. De Bruyne was fucking useless, lacked effort at times with his half hearted tracking back, poor passing and pitiful attempts at tackling which ultimately cost us the game with his foul leading to the goal.

Pep should have subbed him. I don't know why he wasn't taken off after 25
Mins he was that bad.

He has been disappointing this season. Goes missing way too often. I would drop him now.

Sane did well second half and they were all better but the first half showing was pathetic from everyone bar the odd one. Not acceptable from the players or Manager.

I can't imagine the owners are happy with being knocked out at this stage again and pressure is on to do much better that this next season.

The next 3 games will tell us just how far we are away and what we need to do.

We should not be in a position where we possibly need 5/6 new players to have the side we need.

I agree about the third goal.

I still think we need five or six new players, regardless of how this seasons pans out.

I'm still of the mind that Pep knew all of this, but couldn't change the entire starting eleven, from the off.

We need to hang in there, as I can envisage a huge drop off if we lose the semi-final, with some accepting their fate is sealed.

I don't fancy us to win anything at this stage and, as you say, the next three games could set a match to everything.

De Bruyne is being asked to work harder this season but I don't think he has the required fitness levels. He looks overweight.